Furnace-door-operating device



(No Model.)

H. B. SPRAGUE. FURNACE DOOR OPERATING DEVICE.

N0..588,025. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

in 1/6 72 Z0 r J-[. B. ,Sprayzze- I (BY z UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM B. sPRAeUE, or LE'AvENwoETn, KANSAS.

FURNACE-DOOR-OPERATING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 588,025, dated August10, 1897. Application filed f'ebrnary 19, 1897. Serial No. 624,101- (Nomodel.)

To to whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM B. sPRAeUE, of Leavenworth, Leavenworthcounty, Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLocomotive'F urnace-Door-Opcrating Devices, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to locomotive-furnacedoor-operating devices; and myobject is to produce a device of this character which is reliable inoperation and simple, strong, durable, and inexpensive of construction.

The invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features ofconstruction and organization, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference is to behad to the said accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents avertical section of a locomotive-cab and illustrates in rearelevationthe furnace-door and its operating devices. Fig. 2 represents ahorizontal section taken on the line 11 II of Fig. 1, showing the floorof the cab partly broken away. Fig. 3 represents a vertical sectiontaken on the line III III, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 designates the cab of alocomotive.

2 designates the rear end or side of a furnace and boiler, and 3 thedoor'opening thereof, through which fuel is introduced into the furnace.At one side of said door-opening is arranged a hinge-rod i, it beingjournaled in the bearing-brackets 5, two of them below and one above,preferably, the floor of the cab. One of the upper brackets is formedwith an upper cam or inclined surface 6.

7 designates the f urnacedoor, which closes the opening 3 and isprovided with hingearms 8, which embrace the hinge-rod 4, and aresecured rigidly thereon by means of the set-screws 9 or in anyequivalent manner. One of said arms is provided with a lower inclined orcam-face 10, which conforms to and rests upon the upper inclined face ofthe bracket 5,11ereinbefore referred to. By this arrangement it isobvious that when the rod 4 is rotatably operated in the properdirection the cam-surface 10, resting upon the camsnrface 6, causes thedoor and hingerod to be elevated bodily a slight distance, and when opento assume approximately the position illustrated in dotted lines, Fig.1, so

that when the power is removed which opens the door and holds it openthe door by gravity will swing back to its original or closed position,the cam-surface 10 of the arm 8 sliding down upon the cam-surface 6 ofthe bearing-bracket 5. Thus it will be seen that the door cannot beaccidentally left open and permit cold air to enter and chill, or,rather,reduce the temperature of,the furnace, and thereby necessitate agreater consnmption of fuel.

11 designates a plate secured to the door 7 and provided with a curvedarm 12, terminating in an enlargement, and a pin 13.

At a suitable point, on the furnace-wall, by preference, is a ring 14,and fitting therein at one end is a coil-spring 15, which tapersdiametrically toward and at its opposite end surrounds and preferablyengages an opening in the pin 13, so that there is no possible chance ofdislocating the spring by opening or closing the door forcibly orotherwise. The function of this spring is to automatically and reliablyclose the door and hold it closed, except when resisted by an overcom-8o ing force or power, as hereinafter explained.

16 designates an arm Whichis mounted rigidly by means of the set-screw17 or its equivalent upon the hinge-rod 4 near its lower end, and ispivotally connected at its opposite end as at 18, to operate in ahorizontal plane to the link 19, which link in turn is pivotallyconnected to a second and lower link 20, that the latter may operate ina vertical plane. Said link 20 at its opposite end is pivotallyconnected to operate in ahorizontal plane, as at 21, to the short link22, and said short link at its opposite end is pivotally mounted betweenthe vertical ears 23 of alever 2e,which lever is pivotally connected tooperate in a 5 vertical plane to the bracket 25, bolted or otherwiserigidly secured to the bottom of the floor of the cab.

The lever 24: is provided also with a pair of upwardly-projecting ears26, in which is piv- 10o otally mounted at 27 the lower end of the\short link 28, and said link at its upper end is pivotally connected tothe link 29, so that the latter may swingin a vertical plane, but

at right angles to the movement of the link 28. In order that thisrelation between said links may be established, the floor of the cab isprovided with an opening 1 through which said links extend.

designates a foot-plate hinged, as at 31, to the floor of the cab andprovided with a recess 32 near its opposite end, across which a pin 33extends transversely. Pivoted, as at 34, to the upper end of the link 29in a plane at right angles to that of the latters connection with thelink 28 is a short link 35, the upper end of which is loosely mountedupon the cross-pin 33.

The footplate 30 is normally elevated and maintained in such position bythe spring 15 or its equivalent, and consequently the door 7 is normallyheld closed with a yielding pressure,as hereinbefore explained,and suchpres sure assisted, as pointed out, by utilizing the Weight of the doorto prevent it from accidenta-l opening.

In case it may be necessary at any time to hold the door open I haveprovided the free and upper end of the foot-plate with a tooth orshoulder 36 and have provided the dog 37, pivotally mounted on abracket- 38, to engage said foot-plate when moved properly by theoperator. lVhen it is desired to close the door, all that is necessaryto do is to place the foot upon the foot-plate and simultaneouslydepress the same slightly and force the dog out of engagement with theshoulder 36. The spring is then permitted to raise the footplate andclose the door.

In the practical operation of firing a locomotive-furl] ace the firemanusually has to get a shovelful of coal and hold it in one hand or restit upon the floor of the cab until he opens the furnace-door. He thenthrows the coal into the furnace and either closes the door or leaves itopen until he gets the next shovelful. By the first method a great dealof time and labor are unnecessarily'wasted and by the latter method anunnecessary quantity of fuel must be consumed in order to counteract theinfluence of the chilling currents of air that enter thefurnace andflues of the boiler while the door is open. WVith myinvention the fire--Having thus described the invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

In a furnace-door-operating device,the combination of a verticalhinge-rod suitably supported adjacent to the door-opening, a.doormounted thereon, a curved arm projecting from said door andterminatingin an enlargement or shoulder and apin, a ring or annulussecured to the furnace,a spiral spring seated at one end in said ring orannulus and embracing at its opposite end the pin of the door-arm, anarm mounted rigidly on said rod below the floor of the cab, a link-rod,a pair of short links connecting said rod with said lever and with saidarm, a foot-plate hinged to the upper side of the floor, a link-rod, anda pair of short links connecting said rod with the footplate and thelever below the floor of the cab, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

HIRAM B. SPRAGUE.

\Vitnesses:

J OSEPH PIENING, NATHAN V. BUCK.

